Суфизм

The book is a comprehensive coverage of Sufism, including various points of view on its origin and interpretation. The American researcher Carl Ernst analyzes in detail the relationship of this tradition with state power and with the rest of the Islamic world, including such trends as fundamentalism and modernism. In the sphere of his attention is also the evolution of the perception of Sufism in the West. The book is for informational purposes.

Ernst notes the extraordinary versatility and ambiguity of the Sufi heritage, which covers, in addition to religion and politics, also the spheres of literature, history, philosophy, music, and folklore. The existence of "poetic-philosophical", mystical Islam alongside militant Islam seemed to the first European researchers a real miracle, destroying the stereotypical image of "Mohammedans".

Karl Ernst gives the reader the opportunity for a leisurely and thoughtful consideration of different views on the problems of Sufism, the opportunity to develop their own attitude towards this complex phenomenon. The author does not impose his personal opinion and constantly emphasizes the need for discussion, which means that his book will be interesting both for orientalists and for an inexperienced reader. It is intended for all readers interested in the history of world culture and philosophical thought.